


Happy New Year

by misereremolly



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Cuddle fic prompt, M/M, Maybe a little OOC but hey it's a cuddle fic prompt, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, holiday fluff, space boos do science together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2019-02-25 20:26:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13220574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misereremolly/pseuds/misereremolly
Summary: Cuddle fic tumblr prompt #14: in public.Set a handful of years pre-war. Paul drags Hugh to go see more mushrooms.





	Happy New Year

**Author's Note:**

  * For [stellaviatores](https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellaviatores/gifts).



“You brought me here to see more mushrooms?”

Hugh surveyed his surroundings with exasperated amusement. A long hike on a cold Yllurian night with Paul and the rest of his lab had just concluded atop some rolling green hills, which gave a clear vista to a huge mushroom forest in the valley below. 

“Not just any mushrooms, dear doctor!”

“That’s what you always say,” Hugh mutters, not unkindly. 

“Look around you! We’re not the only weirdos here this time.”

He was right. Crowds of locals and tourists were gathered, all facing the valley. 

“Well, if you’d only tell me what this is all about, maybe I’d be as excited as the rest of you.”

Paul was laying out a blanket. Others were too. Straal and the lab busied themselves with setting out their blankets, some chairs, a pile of snacks, and thermoses of warm drinks. Their lab manager Nikita was there too, warmly wrapped up in multiple scarves, setting up a few tricorder stations.

Paul seated Hugh on their blanket, fetched them mugs of hot cocoa and quickly settled in at his side. Shivering from the cold, he draped a blanket around their shoulders and pressed a quivering thigh to Hugh’s. They huddled together in a bundle, sharing each other’s warmth, gratefully sipping drinks that were just a little too hot. 

Straal started a countdown that others in the vicinity picked up. Soon enough half of the hillside was chanting along: “3…2…”

Paul gripped Hugh’s hand. 

“…1.”

The forest exploded into dazzling bio-luminescence. Not just the typical glowing green one would usually expect, but blues, pinks, golds too, all competing for attention. People gasped, some even broke into spontaneous applause in appreciation of a stunning performance of nature. 

It was breathtaking. 

Paul nuzzled their heads close, and the hair of their foreheads made that little intimate skritching sound as they rubbed them together. “It’s a totally unique biological phenomena,” he sighed. “It happens once in the Yllurian solar cycle, right at the start of their new year.”

“How are the other colors happening?” Hugh murmured. 

“It’s all in the composition of the soil. Here—" and Paul held out a tricorder he had thoughtfully made ready. Of course his love knew that he’d want to read more. Smiling, Hugh set down his mug of cocoa and let go of Paul’s hand to accept the proffered scanner. 

Some tourists were hitting up Straal and other members of the lab with questions, which they were happily fielding. 

But Paul stayed put at his side and hooked his chin over his shoulder so they could look at the readings together, and his arm wrapped around Hugh’s back. 

In a little burst of glee, Paul squeezed them together, slim bicep pushing into Hugh’s strong side. “Cool, right?”

Hugh finished scrolling through and looked at Paul. His dancing eyes were reflecting the array of colors from the forest. 

“Very cool, my love.”

Something about the kiss that followed was so tender, almost tentative; it almost felt like the very first time their lips had ever touched.

Hugh was reluctant to pull back; their parted lips hovered close for an electrifying few moments, their warm breath mingling. 

“Happy new year, dear doctor.”

Straal’s voice broke over their heads. “Alright you two. Keep it age-appropriate, there are families present.”

Paul groaned. “Go _away_ , Straal.” 

“Stamets, I don’t expect much sense out of you, but come on, Culber -- you’re supposed to be the designated grown-up here.”

“Now wait a second,” Hugh protested. “Since when am I your lab’s den mother?”

Extra blankets rained down onto their laps. “We’re going down to get a closer look. See you guys later. Have fu-uun.”

Hugh watched in amusement as Paul, pink-cheeked, pitched headfirst into the cozy pile.

“I hate you,” his muffled voice called to Straal’s back.

A pause as a quiet hush swept over the hill. Hugh’s fingers came up to the blond head resting on his lap and scratched through prickly hair on the nape of Paul’s neck. “This is nice.”

“Hmmm.” 

The glow from the forest seemed to intensify, as if to catch the attention of the canopy of stars above. The air grew colder; some of the crowd started to thin out. But they remained, welcoming the Yllurian New Year nestled together in a fort of blankets.

**Author's Note:**

> Couldn't resist throwing in a couple of cameos from two of my other fics: Nikita from The Karaoke Maru, and glowing Yllurian mushrooms from Stolen.


End file.
